4 Tips to Help You Stay Present

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

~Buddha

My morning routine generally consists of the same things. I start my day by going to the gym, listen to my daily motivation from Brandon Bouchard and then I round it out with a phone call to my mom. As I walk into work, like most mornings, I’m completely enthralled in our conversation and usually make a b-line straight for my desk to finish up our morning chitchat.

A few weeks ago my routine was broken; It was the first time in a long time that I hadn’t spoken with her for our morning pow-wow a few days in a row. Although I love speaking with her, this break from the “norm” was a great eye-opener and I’m actually glad it happened this way. Let me share why…

As I walked into work that morning without my hands glued to my phone, it allowed me to be more present and aware of my surroundings. While taking the elevator, I was noticing that everyone around me was on their phones; texting, talking, snap-chatting, emailing – you name it and they were doing it. I thought to myself, “wow, everyone is in their own little world not interacting or even saying hi, bye or good morning to each”. It’s was almost like everyone had became zombies and that this little 6″ device was taking over their lives; people were literally just “going through the motions” as they passed each other by. I know, I know, I’m guilty of it too, but this moment made me stop dead in my tracks. I had to make a change.

The next day the same thing happened with a new set of people in the elevator; not one person flinched or even looked up to acknowledge the new person to join them on rides to their respective floors. In one almost unison-like move, they just shuffled to side to make room for the next zombie all while never breaking their glares from their phones. NO ONE WAS PRESENT! I thought to myself “What type of world am I living in?” I also started wondering, ”Are we actually living or are we allowing technology take over?” Although technology has its great benefits, we shouldn’t allow it to take over our existence. We’re missing out on a special part of lives, which is being and staying engaged…were missing the NOW. After those observations were made those two days in a row, I knew right then that I had to make a change and make every effort to be more present.

I want to share three tips that helped me stay engaged and present, which I know it will do the same for you in your day-to-day life. If any of these questions below apply to you, this is an indicator that you need to work on being more present.

Three Questions That Will Determine If You Are Not Being Present

1.Do you find yourself constantly thinking about the future and what you need to do tomorrow? Think about it this way, the future actually doesn’t exist; all we really have is this moment. By all means, plan what needs to get done, but don’t waste all your energy on a day that doesn’t exist.

2.Do you find yourself daydreaming during a conversation and repeatedly asking questions during the conversation that were already answered, but you weren’t paying attention?

3.Are you constantly stressing out or losing sleep over something that hasn’t happened yet?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, here’s 4 tips that will help you to become present and more engaged in your life:

4 Tips to Help You Stay Present

1. Stay off your cell phone when you are with friends or family (put your cell phone on mute to avoid any interruptions).

2. Throughout your day ask yourself if you are still breathing. If your mind is wandering to the past or future ask yourself this question and you will instantly connect to the present moment.

3. Get in touch with mother-nature. Take a walk at the beach; go on a walk or hike and breath in the air. Acknowledge how beautiful this world is and give lots gratitude.

4. Try to give your full attention to the task at hand by managing one thing at a time.

You will find after turning these tips into a habit you feel less stress, happier, and you will look forward to interacting with people.

2 COMMENTS

Melissa
|
11th May 17

Great Post! I’m definitely going to use all your tips especially no.1. I think cellphones/technology has really caused havoc on our ability to be present and to enjoy the beauty that might be in front of us.